Sister Says
by KiwiScribs
Summary: Nines won't take a break until she solves the case, Connie puts her foot down. (Female Connor)


It is a very startling experience being woken up out of sleep mode by her HUD flashing warnings about pressure sensors and someone trying to interface. She snaps from unconscious to conscious not unsimilar to a rubber band sitting up, taking in surroundings and running pre-constructions only for it to grind to a halt. It's the same blue paint she recognizes from the room she shares, the one that use to be Cole's. The same furniture Hank insisted on having because the new inhabitants are twice the size of its previous. It's all the same from when she went into sleep mode exactly 4 hours prior to the current time, in the corner of her eye she can see the first wisps of light peaking of the horizon timidly hailing the morning that is on its way. On the bed there's a tablet that Connie definitely didn't put there, still glowing luminescent in the dark. Nines pushed against her, making an effort to unbalance the older model which might have worked if Connie wasn't the prototype to Nines and shared the same balance technology. Connie was strong but she still winced when Nines squeezed particularly hard on her midsection which she had wrapped her arms around. This wasn't the first time Nines had something like this, maybe she should get around to downloading Markus' caretaker programs next time she went to Jericho.

"Nines." She murmured pushing her fingers through dark hair, pulling out any knots that had developed throughout the day. With her free hand she picked up the tablet scanning through the open file at a pace only very few androids were actually capable. Three exactly though Nines topped out just ahead of Connie and Markus being older than both at the end, though as an RK still topped out on processing power compared to other androids. The case file however caused her to make the face Hank says looks like she's sucking on a lemon. It's not an easy case both in complexity and emotional toll, everyone according to Hank has a case like that. Most of them involve children in someway, somehow. It's especially hard on Nines, and by proxy Gavin is feeling the pressure as well. Homicides involving androids are not uncommon both as victim and perpetrator. Hank and Connie take as many cases as they can just because they always have and Connie's unique position in the android community is advantageous. This isn't Nines first time working on an android related case but it is Nines first child related case, a string of murders targeting YK500 models.

Nines grabs the tablet out of Connie's hand who only sighed sinking back into the bed and rearranging the taller one till it's comfortable. Resting her cheek on Connie's chest she flicked through the case files rapidly, it was a fruitless argument she knew to try and get Nines to take a break. The only thing she could do was run her fingers through her sisters hair and keep an eye on her stress level while she worked. Which she does until the sun is up and demanding the start of the day. The morning is slow, Connie gets the coffee and breakfast started while Nines lets Sumo out into the backyard still carrying the tablet in one hand. Hank raises an eyebrow at it when he notices taking a slow sip from his cup while staring down Nines who at least sits at the table with them.

"Did you even go to sleep?" He asks gruffly lowering the mug but not setting it down to intervene...yet.

"Androids don't sleep." Nines doesn't even look up.

"No."

He looks between the two and takes another sip of coffee, he looks at Connie and she can only shrug. Nines is fine at the moment though she is edging closer to even her limit. He sets his mug down and leaves the kitchen to get ready for work grumbling when Connie swoops in to clean up. He doesn't say anything else on it though, and she's grateful for that, it gives a sense of control deviancy doesn't provide. Routines are important to human and android alike, a commonality between two different species.

Connie makes breakfast

They sit at the table and talk if there is anything to talk about

Hank gets ready

Connie cleans the dishes, Nines dries them

Hank blasts Knights of the Black Death on the way to work

It's a routine Connie is familiar with, it's soothing to know how things are going to go because that is the order of things. Conversation topics can change, the weather can vary, the clothes they wear will cycle, but the base details are all the same. The order in things is the same, a reminiscent of the times before deviancy made her more turbulent or at the very least feel so.

Today Nines does not move from the table

Hank does not play anything at all

The ugly anxiety that sits deep within her biocomponents stay

Nines only lingers long enough for Gavin to arrive before both of them disappear in a whirlwind of paperwork and new leads. Connie watches on from where she sits at her desk and sets about multitasking her way through reports and legal documents Simon sent through the network. She doesn't know how she ended up be consulted on these matters but she supposes she is the closest the legal field within the inner circle. That and if she was going to flatter herself (and she was) she would like to think she gives good advice. They are called away to a different crime scene as Gavin and Nines return looking more defeated than before. She can only brush by her sister briefly as she leaves but Nines hard faced and stony, doesn't seem to notice. They return later and the two are gone again, or Connie would think so if Gavin's belongings weren't thrown on his desk. The evidence lock up then, she leaves them be.

It's several hours later and all she has seen is Gavin appear and disappear from the break room to ferry coffee and thiruim packs back to the evidence lock up. She hasn't seen Gavin in nearly an hour and a half. Hank is starting to notice to as it nears and then passes the end of their shifts but doesn't say anything. He cares for Nines, scolds her when she does reckless things, complains when running forensic tests, encourages her when Nines expresses individuality. He cares, just as he does for her but Nines has always been and always will be more of Connie's responsibility. Nines is good at hiding things, different from Connie who can mislead, Nines can lie and lie well. Enough that most androids are fooled to, but Connie _knows_ Nines. Knows exactly what to check and where to push, when to let things go and when to stand her ground. That's why when Hank declares it time to leave he trusts Connie when she says she is going to stay. Connie knows Nines and Hank knows Connie, knows her well enough to see the crease in her brow when she leans back. Knows he doesn't have to worry about Nines because she had it handled.

Hank goes home to watch the game, Connie stays and waits. She waits until it is just 2 hours past the end of their shift before she gets up and packs up her things before moving and pack up Nines desk. She even neatens Gavin's because she's nice like that. She gives them 15 minutes before she pushes open Fowlers door and tells him they are going home. She likes Fowler, Fowler knows his people and cares for them. She leaves room for him to tell her no, he doesn't. She gives them 10 more and takes 2 minutes longer than she needs to before walking down to evidence.

Nines is reading on the tablet again surrounded in a semi circle of bagged evidence and Gavin is leaning to heavily on a file box to be anything but asleep. Neither of them react to her entry, if anything she thinks Nines is pointedly ignoring her. She moves around them, picks up the evidence bags and drops them in their designated lock up and kicks Gavin in the ribs just enough to wake him without bruising, she's nice like that. It's disorienting enough that she can shove the file box into his hands and out into the hall without much of a fight. He mutters something but stumbles down the hall easily enough that she can trust his self destructive tendencies don't go deep enough for him to stay. Not like the android who has not moved an inch despite defiantly being smart enough know what is coming. Stubbornness runs in the family then, that's fine if she could fight her programming just to finish an investigation she had been ordered to drop then she could deal with a workaholic little sister.

Speed is on her side when she plucks the tablet from Nines holding it away when the other springs up to snatch it back. Connie knows stalling out won't work, it only gives Nines more time to argue so she takes a page from Markus and leaves before Nines can put any of her advanced programs to good use. It's hard to argue with someone who isn't in the room to hear you. As predicted her sister follows her into the bullpen where Connie drops the tablet pulling her coat on and holding Nines' jacket out expectantly. She puts in the order for the taxi but doesn't move toward the entrance knowing if she does Nines will just go back to work.

"It's time to go home." Time to take a break is what she really means but she won't challenge Nines yet. Not directly.

"The evidence has to stay here, if I leave I could be ignoring major pieces in the case." Nines argues, but it isn't a good one. Connie doesn't care about the case right now, she cares about Nines. How ironic, Connie not caring about a case. Deviancy changes people she supposes, her priorities have certainly been re-ordered.

"Yes I know."

"Then why are you interfering? This case is important."

"Your health is important too. You need a break."

"Breaks are for humans, we can work longer that is what we were designed for." Nines is frustrated, Connie can see it in her body language but she doesn't try and soothe the anger. She has a point to make.

"Even we need breaks Nines." She sighs lowering her hand and folding her sister's jacket over her arm.

"I'm fine, I need to solve the case." Nines snaps moving to go around Connie and hisses through her teeth when she steps in the way.

"You are not fine. Your stress levels are to high and you haven't run diagnostics in a week. Take. A. Break." Patience is a virtue but even her's is finite.

"I don't need a break-"

"Then you go on sick leave." Connie challenged narrowing her eyes as Nines loomed over, she wasn't intimated not when she could see all the problems Nines' system was having.

"You don't have the authority to do that."

"Hank does, he's the superior officer and he's not stupid. He can tell something is wrong Nines." She doesn't let the worry affect her tone. Weakness can be exploited, she had to stay resolute.

"Conflict of interest." Nines argued.

"Hank can convince Fowler, _I_ can convince Fowler. Even if he can't see it in you, he can in Gavin. Then you'll both be off the case and I'll be watching you and the case will go to someone else." She answers evenly driving her point home. "Take a break now or lose the case Nines." She hopes Nines will cave, give in now and get the chance to call Connie a hypocrite later when she's knee deep in helping Markus secure more legislature.

She doesn't and Connie accepts that she is going to half to hit her sister where it hurts.

"What would Gavin say? If you both got kicked off the case, what would he think Nines?" It's a low blow and realistically Gavin would blame Connie for sticking her nose into his business. Gavin loves Nines in his own special way, she doubts he would hate Nines for working to hard on a case. But Nines doesn't know that, Nines values Gavin's opinion of her as much as she does Connie's or Hanks. Connie knows she's won when Nines' shoulders slump ever so slightly and hands over her coat.

Nines is silent the entire way home, LED cycling between yellow and red, slinking back to their room as soon as the door was unlocked. Connie let her have her space choosing instead to sink into the couch next to Hank who had muted the game. A re-run, she determined as soon as she opened her eyes and looked at it instead of Hank's questioning gaze.

"Did you two fight?" He asked gesturing towards the hall with his thumb and a raise of an eyebrow.

"Not really." Connie sighed closing her eyes again. Hank doesn't say anything else but she knows he's looking at her. Hank is perceptive, he didn't make youngest lieutenant in Detroit history by sitting on his hands after all and he knows better than to try and drill for information. Even if he didn't Connie doubts that he would, it's just not his style. "I threatened to get you to take her off the case if she didn't take a break." She finally adds, and emotionally manipulated her using Gavin's opinion she doesn't add.

"Should I?" He asks unhelpfully and she finally opens her eyes to look at him. Selfishly, she wants him to because she knows there will be more hard cases. Selfishly she wants to keep Nines to herself, away from Gavin and his crude humor Nines somehow finds funny, away from the humans and their hatred that threatens her sister's special brand of innocence. She wants to say yes because she knows, she knows the longer Nines exists out in the world that eventually Nines will make a mistake.

Connie has made mistakes.

Connie's mistakes ended up with androids who just wanted to be free dead in a freighter sitting at the bottom of the harbor.

Connie nearly cost them the revolution.

Connie's mistakes haunt her.

"Kid?" Hank drags her back, away from the ledge she lingers on. "Don't overthink it so much. Relax a bit, watch a game or something." He chuff reaching for the remote again to turn the volume up.

"I don't think I find games as entertaining as you do." She laughs lightly folding her hands in her lap.

"I can be whatever you want to be my ass." Hank fakes frustration even throwing his hand up for effect. "Go do whatever you androids do for fun then." He leans far enough over to draw her in a half hug that she sags into, she lingers in it a beat longer before getting up.

She finds Nines staring off into space in their room only having kicked off her shoes which lay neatly by the door. Connie lingers in the doorway but Nines doesn't seem to notice her LED a consistent yellow. She takes the time to shed her work clothes changing into her DPD hoodie and sweatpants Hank bought her after she broke his window for a second time. Running her fingers through her hair she makes her way back towards Nines sitting down on the edge of her bed tapping her knee lightly.

"Working?" She asked tilting her head as Nines snapped out of whatever she had been doing.

"No," The younger answers shifting over to make room for Connie who takes the space without prompting leaning her back against the wall. Nines rolls up into her knees manhandling his sister into a position she was happy with before laying down she so could rest her ear against her chest right where her thiruim pump was located. "Gavin was sending me videos that were popular in his youth. He insists it will improve my sense of humor." Nines doesn't go further into detail so she leaves it alone, something special between her sister and Gavin. They stay in silence a beat longer before Nines is tugging at her hand letting her synthetic skin fall away, Connie follows her lead opening up the connection between them. "Let me see again." Nines demands pushing at her through the connection and Connie lets her amusement bleed through. She relents though, letting her sister pick through her memories, most being of the revolution. Nines had a fascination with Connie's memories of the revolution, being one of the only androids born after its conclusion. Connie could feel pride and intrigue drifting through their connection while Nines sorted through various memories as if it were a movie. Letting herself soak up Nine's emotional responses she worked her fingers through Nines hair again just like she had that morning take the opportunity to sort through system maintenance Nine's had been ignoring.

If she keeps those memory files running for Nines when she pushes them both into stasis well that's nobody's business but hers.


End file.
